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Chapter 46 – On Thin Ice:

Annabelle looked at herself in the mirror and scrutinised her reflection. It was Boxing Day and she was getting ready to go ice-skating with her family and the Foxtons. Back home in the jungle Annabelle didn't really care too much about her appearance, but somehow, she didn't know why but she was wanted to look her absolute best.

"There we go Miss Anna," Martha said as she finished tying the black sash around Annabelle's slim waist into a neat bow at the back. She was dressed in the red and black dress that her glamorous Aunt Cecilia had given her for Christmas and she indeed suited the deep crimson colour.

Martha had styled her long brown hair in a half up/half down hairstyle and Annabelle worried that it made her look young, like a little girl. She wanted to look more grown up and wanted to ask Martha if she could restyle her hair in an updo, like a 'Gibson Girl'. But it was out of the question and they didn't have enough time to redo it anyway. Martha noticed Annabelle's nervous preening and smiled to herself.

"Martha…. do I… look?" Annabelle started and then stopped, unsure of what to say.

"You look very pretty Miss Anna," Martha reassured her kindly, "I'm sure Master Percy will think so too."

"Oh God no!" Annabelle protested, albeit a bit too much, "I was just wondering if I looked good for Aunt Cecilia. After all this is her Christmas present to me. I couldn't care less about what Percy Foxton thinks!"

"Well, you do look very sophisticated Miss Anna. Viscountess Foxton will be very pleased. Now lets put on your coat and hat." As Martha turned away to get the coat which was laid out on the bed, Annabelle quickly pinched her cheeks and bit her lips to bring a little more colour to them. Martha smiled to herself as she helped Annabelle into her coat. Her charge was on the verge of becoming a young woman and was now experiencing her first infatuation, her first crush.

"Merry Christmas my darlings!" Cecilia beamed, waving to the Porters as they approached the bandstand, "My my! Annabelle dear you look wonderful! Gone on, give me a twirl." Annabelle did as she was told and slowly spun around, her long brown hair flowing like a cloud behind her.

"Thank you Aunt Cecilia, I love it. Merry Christmas Uncle Charlie, Merry Christmas Edward, Henry… Merry Christmas Percy." Annabelle felt her cheeks flush as she greeted Percy, who looked for a moment almost entranced by her new outfit and then snapped out of his reverie by making a nervous cough.

"Merry Christmas Annabelle, you look, look -" Percy started but was interrupted by Henry and Edward impatiently tugging at their mother and father's coats.

"Mother! Father! Can we please go skating now!" the twins chorused and Percy looked frustrated at them interrupting.

"Yes of course, come on then," Cecilia smiled and they all walked over to the Round Pond, which was frozen over like a sheet of glass with the grand Kensington Palace overlooking the park. They found an empty bench and strapped on the ice skates over their shoes. The twins dashed onto the frozen pond, whizzing around and dodging other skaters, complete naturals on the ice.

"So…. have you been ice skating before?" Percy asked awkwardly as the two older children stepped onto the ice and Annabelle wobbled slightly.

"No, I haven't," she said as she tried to steady herself, praying that she wouldn't fall in front of him. She would absolutely die if she did!

"Bend your knees and hold out your arms to steady yourself and glide like this," Percy skated a few glides away from her and came to a smooth stop. Annabelle gulped, this felt like learning to branch surf and swing on vines all over again. She didn't mind making a fool of herself in front of her father but this was different.

Holding out her arms and slightly bending her knees, she pushed off and glided a little across the ice.

"Well done Anna!" she could hear her mother and father call out from the edge of the pond where they were skating. Now filled with a fierce determination, she pushed off on her other leg and glided some more.

"Mama! Papa! Look I'm skating!" she called out, her lips forming an ecstatic grin.

"Keep at it Anna, just don't go too far!" Jane called back as she helped Tarzan learn to skate whilst Cecilia and Charles Foxton watched from the bench with Martha quietly watching over William in his pram.

"Yes Mama," Annabelle replied, giggled and then continued to skate towards Percy. Just as she was about to reach him she started lose her balance, falling forwards. Quickly Percy caught her in his arms and helped back up.

"Thank you Percy," Annabelle was grateful and but also embarrassed at her lack of skill.

"You're welcome," Percy made a nervous smile and his glasses slightly steamed up. "Here," he placed her gloved hand on the crook of his arm and Annabelle felt her heart start to beat faster, almost flutter.

"What if I fall over?" she asked, worried that she would make him fall too.

"Well…I'll help both of us get up," Percy smiled and Annabelle felt her cheeks blush at his sweet gesture. They skated off together slowly, Percy's arm providing Annabelle enough support to skate relatively well.

"So… did you have a nice Christmas?" Percy asked politely, his heart beating fast at having a girl, let alone a very pretty girl on his arm. "If only the other boys at Eton could see me now!" he thought gleefully as they continued to skate slowly but smoothly.

"Oh yes, Grandpa got me a Labrador puppy."

"A Labrador?"

"Yes, it's a new breed. Apparently it's a smaller descendant of the Newfoundland. He's brown like hot cocoa and only 2 months old. I called him Tiko, oh he is the most adorable thing on earth."

"Tiko, unusual name."

"It means 'loyal friend' from where I come from," Annabelle explained, "I would have brought him here to show you but Mama thought that it might be too cold for him today so he's at home."

"Gosh you're lucky," Percy replied, "I got some clothes, books and a Mecanno set. I would love to have a dog of my own. My mother has a King Charles spaniel but Dash is so old now and can't do very much."

"Well you can come over and see him if you like," Annabelle offered and both children giggled nervously, "and we can play some more draughts."

"I would like that," Percy replied and there was a moment of silence between them, half awkward, half exciting. Annabelle let go of Percy's arm and started to skate a little on her own.

"Oh my goodness Percy!" she gasped in delight as she managed to slowly spin around and Percy clapped in congratulations, the bright winter sun glinting off his glasses.

"Annabelle, I, I want to give you something," Percy started to reach into the deep pocket of his wool coat but suddenly there was an ominous cracking sound and a second later the ice collapsed underneath him, plunging Percy into the icy waters of the pond!

"PERCY!" Annabelle screamed as she skated over, stopping just before the edge of the broken ice. Percy emerged to the surface, his face white as a sheet and his arms and legs flailing wildly as he struggled to swim in the freezing cold water, gasping uncontrollably!

"An, An, Anna, Annabelle, hel, help me!" Percy spluttered, his voice filled with fear. He was not the strongest of swimmers and his heavy wool coat was weighing him down, threatening to pull him under!

Annabelle looked around in panic, wondering what on earth to do! They were too far away for her to shout for help and she didn't have time nor the skill to skate back quickly enough. "If only I had a rope!" she cursed to herself, but then suddenly a light bulb went off in her head and she knew what to do.

Quick as a flash, she unbuttoned her coat and untied the big black sash around her waist.

"Percy! Grab my sash!" Annabelle instructed as she gripped one end tightly and threw the other end for him to take. Percy through his frantic doggy paddling managed to grab hold of the sash and Annabelle pulled with all her might. But Percy was taller and heavier than her and his waterlogged clothes made her struggle to pull him out.

"Perc!" Annabelle heard shouts and before she knew it Henry and Edward skated over, their eyes widening in shock at their brother's dangerous predicament.

"Help me pull!" Annabelle cried and the twins didn't need to be told twice. They grabbed the sash and the three children managed to pull Percy out of the freezing water and back onto the ice. Percy laid flat out on the ice, breathing short, sharp breaths and his face was pale as the snow covering the park.

"Help your brother up," Annabelle told the twins calmly but firmly, "we need to get him back to your parents." The twins helped their soaking wet brother to his feet and they skated back to the edge of the pond where both their parents were still chatting and skating gaily.

"Sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Cecilia cried, her eyes were almost out on stalks as the children skated over to them, "What on earth happened!" All of the adults rushed over, bombarding the children with questions on what the hell happened to Percy. But the usually boisterous twins were in shock and it became too much for Annabelle and she burst into floods of tears.

"I, I, f, fell th, th, through, th, the, ic, ic, ice," Percy explained, his teeth chattering violently with the cold, "Anna, b, b, belle, he, help, helped me out with her, her, sa, sa, sash."

"Come on son, let's get you home," Charlie hastily helped his son out of his sodden coat and placed his own dry coat over his son's shoulders. "We'd better get Dr Beardworth to come and examine him."

"Oh my baby! My poor baby!" Cecilia wailed, beside herself with anxiety as her son shivered violently.

"Here, let me," Tarzan got Percy to hold onto his back rather than waste time taking his ice skates off his shoes.

"We'll follow you," Jane added to reassure her best friend, "you go straight back home and get the doctor. I'll take the boys and Annabelle in our coach."

Cecilia nodded gratefully, tears streaming down her face before she hurried after her husband and Tarzan carrying Percy on his back, making their way across the park as fast as possible.

"Come on along children," Jane nodded to Martha who followed them, pushing William in the pram as Jane escorted Annabelle, Henry and Edward out of the park and into their own horse and coach.

"Number 12 Belgrave Square Garden and hurry please," Jane told the driver and ushered the children into the coach. "Martha, you and William head back home. Here is some money for a carriage."

"Oh it's not too far, we'll walk back. The fresh air will do the little soldier good," Martha replied but Jane still gave her the money just in case she changed her mind.

The children were silent for the whole journey. Even the twins who were so normally so energetic and chatty were too overwhelmed to speak. Annabelle's eyes were sore from crying and her mother calmly and quietly held her hand in hers whilst stroking her back with the other in order to comfort her.

The Foxtons' butler ushered them into the house and took them to the grand drawing room to sit down and wait. Normally Annabelle would have been taken in by the beautiful decorations and the portraits but she just looked down blankly at the floor, her eyes not even taking in the intricate details of the rug.

"Is our brother going to…. die?" Henry eventually spoke up, his voice a mere whisper.

"Oh no dear!" Jane instantly dismissed the notion, "Your brother has had an accident but he'll be alright. He is wet and very cold but he will soon warm up and Doctor Beardworth will take good care of him."

Henry and Edward did not look convinced and went back to staring at the floor and twiddling their thumbs in anxiety.

"It's all my fault," Annabelle teared up again. "We shouldn't have skated so far out, if only -"

"Anna darling it was an accident," Jane reassured her, "you're not to blame. You in fact saved his life. If you hadn't thought about using your sash then I dread to think of what could have happened. It was inspired, I am sure that your aunt and uncle will be very thankful for what you did today."

They sat in the drawing room for a long time, hardly speaking before they heard the muttering of voices and then the drawing room door was opened by the butler. Jane could see Dr Beardworth speaking with Cecilia and Charlie, a very rotund man with a thick, bushy white beard and wore a monocle.

"Thank you Doctor," Charlie shook the man's hand, "thank you for coming out at such short notice and on Boxing Day of all days."

"It is no trouble at all Lord Foxton," Dr Beardworth replied respectfully, "if there are any changes then do not hesitate to bring me back." He bowed to Charlie and Cecilia and was ushered out of the house by the butler.

"Jane," Tarzan solemnly came into the drawing room and placed his hands on his wife and daughter's shoulders whilst Cecilia and Charlie slowly walked into the room, both of their faces looking grave.

"Aunt Cecilia! Uncle Charlie!" Annabelle leapt off the settee and dashed over to them, desperate to hear the news. "Is Percy alright? Is he going to be okay?"

"Oh the doctor says he is going to be alright," Cecilia replied, her face still pale and her eyes misty from crying, "He has had a hot bath and he is in bed resting, keeping warm. Mrs Crotty, the housekeeper will bring him up some beef broth and tea in a minute."

"Can I take it up Aunt Cecilia? Can I see him?"

"Yes, but he is resting so he cannot get too excited. And thank you Annabelle, for everything you did today."

"Thank you Annabelle my dear," Charlie added before hugging her, "We are so grateful you would not believe it."

Annabelle nodded and went with Mrs Crotty to the kitchen and then followed her up flights of stairs and down corridors to Percy's bedroom, carrying a breakfast tray with the soup, a bread roll as well as a pot of tea and a teacup. Mrs Crotty rapped smartly on the bedroom door and entered.

Percy was lying in a dark wood Eastlake style bed, sporting striped flanette pyjamas and tucked up under many thick quilts. There was a good-sized fire crackling in the grate and the room felt very toasty compared to the bitter cold outside.

"Miss Annabelle has kindly brought you some soup Master Percy," Mrs Crotty said as she helped him sit up, propping up his back with a few plump, soft pillows. He looked a lot better, his face had more colour to it but he looked pretty exhausted by the day's events.

"Now will you be able to eat this by yourself Master Percy?" Mrs Crotty asked as Annabelle carefully placed the tray on his lap.

"Yes, thank you Mrs Crotty," Percy said and then took a sip of the soup to prove it, "you can leave us now."

Mrs Crotty smiled and nodded and as she turned to leave the room she whispered to Annabelle, "If anything happens, or he feels unwell you must call me or ring the bell." Annabelle nodded and Mrs Crotty closed the door, leaving the two children alone.

Annabelle's eyes drank in her surroundings. She never thought that she would ever be in a boy's bedroom and was fascinated by it. It was a relatively simply decorated room with an eau de nil green and cream striped wallpaper but most of it was covered by several of Percy's jewellery designs, sketches of people, animals and paintings of still life and landscapes.

"Do you like them?" he asked, his throat a little horse as Annabelle looked at the many pictures with great interest.

"Oh they are lovely!" Annabelle replied quickly and continued looking at them. Percy was certainly very talented and she wished that she could draw as good as him.

"That's Admiral," Percy explained as Annabelle was particularly taken with a pencil sketch of a very handsome looking horse. "He's my horse. I get to ride him when we visit our country estate in the summer. Have you ever ridden a horse?"

"No," Annabelle shook her head, "but I would like to though. Big box," she said as she noticed a rather large wooden trunk that was much bigger than her toy chest and had the Foxton crest on it.

"My school trunk," Percy looked at the trunk with slight resentment in his eyes, "I practically live out of that damn stupid thing even when I am home. Sure enough I am sent off again so there's no point of properly unpacking."

"When do you go back?"

"After New Years, so not long."

"I'll bring Tiko over before then so that you can play with him before you go. Maybe you can sketch him?"

"I would like that," Percy smiled as Annabelle sat down on the edge of the bed, facing him. "Do you think that you will still be here in the spring as I come back for Easter?"

"I think so, my brother's operation isn't until July but Mama and Papa are hoping that the doctor will change his mind and reschedule for after Christmas."

"May I write to you?" Percy asked and as he did so, his voice was a little nervous, "I mean, would it be alright to send you letters when I am at school? Pen-pals, if that's what you want, I, I, mean you don't have to if -"

"I would like that very much," Annabelle interrupted, touching his hand with hers as Percy hopelessly gabbled. She quickly pulled her hand away and the two children smiled and then blushed.

"Annabelle…I want to thank you for saving my life today," Percy's face then turned serious, "I will be eternally grateful to you. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't pulled me out."

Annabelle felt her heart beat faster and she blushed again. "Oh Percy," was all she could say.

"Anna, a letter and a parcel has arrived for you," Jane said as she popped her head around Annabelle's bedroom door. Annabelle got up from her writing desk, putting her pen back in the inkwell. She had been drafting a story on sheets of paper, making sure that there were absolutely no mistakes before writing it in her new journal.

"I wonder who it is from?" Jane asked curiously as she handed her daughter her post.

"It's from Percy," Annabelle smiled and went to open it but stopped and looked at her mother. Jane smiled an amused smile and left her daughter to open her first letter from her pen pal in private. Annabelle carefully opened the letter, her green eyes drinking in every word.

"Dear Annabelle,

I hope that this letter finds you well. I am writing to you on 6 o' clock train back to Eton. It is so early and the journey is dreadfully dull. I am reading the Bradshaw book that your family gave me to while away the time and at least imagine that I am having a more exciting journey across the Empire! I do so wish that the school holidays were a little longer.

Thank you for bringing Tiko over the other day. He is a boisterous, most playful pup and I am sure that he is the perfect companion for you. I'm glad that you liked the sketch I did of him. I do hope that I captured his likeness decently enough in spite of his squirming!

I have also sent you something that I wanted to give you on Boxing Day before I fell through the ice, something that is not just for boys.

I hope that you enjoy playing with them as much as I have and I wish you a very Happy New Year.

Regards,

Percy "

Annabelle was puzzled by Percy's last words and carefully untied the string and the brown paper of the small package. It was an old biscuit tin and inside were many tin soldiers with smart red jackets, blue trousers and tall black bearskins, some on horses and little cannons.

Annabelle was taken back by the very generous gift. He had given her his own soldiers after his little brothers rudely said that they were not for girls. It was a very sweet thing for him to do and Annabelle couldn't wait to play with them. She placed the tin on the bed and went back to her writing desk to finish her story. She wanted to send it to Percy not only as a thank you but also for his approval and advice.